Chapter 234: The Golden Lion Reappears!The next day,Alabasta Royal Palace"Ah... Luffy... open wide~~"Vivi Nefert was wearing a pale gold gauze dress today, with small pearls adorning the cuffs and neckline.She held a silver fork, the tip of which held a neatly cut piece of roast beef.She brought the beef to Luffy's mouth, her beautiful eyes curved into crescents, flowing with extreme tenderness."—Awooo!!"Luffy opened his mouth and swallowed the entire piece of beef along with the tip of the silver fork.As he chewed with bulging cheeks, the light of happiness almost spilled out of his eyes."Is it good?"Vivi asked softly, naturally wiping the grease from the corner of his mouth with her finger."Mmhmm! It tastes just as good as what Sanjimakes!"Luffy shouted incoherently, stretching his rubber arm to grab an entire roasted fish from a plate three meters away and stuffing it into his mouth."Especially this one! The bones are crispy!"Vivi covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then cut another piece of pancake drizzled with mango sauce. Her movements were standard enough to be included in a royal etiquette textbook.But there wasn't a trace of "etiquette" in the look she gave Luffy.It was a passionate and direct emotion, fermented by months of longing and tempered by war and separation.At the other end of the long table.Nami sat in a high-backed velvet chair, resting her chin on her hand.Her whole body exuded a lazy yet dangerous aura, somewhere between a girl and a mature woman... a charm nurtured by both love and adventure.Her orange long hair was not tied up as usual, but cascaded down her shoulders and back like a waterfall, the ends still damp from a bath."Haaah—"She let out a long yawn, a physiological tear welling up in the corner of her eye.The movement fully stretched her swan-like neck, causing the neckline of her robe to slip down another half inch.But she didn't care, simply wiping away the tear with her fingertip, gazing hazily at the gilded fruit basket in the center of the long table.It wasn't that she didn't want to disturb the "shameless" couple.She simply couldn't muster the energy.The surging tide brought by the "Indestructible Body" left her utterly defeated."Really... that bastard..."She murmured softly, her voice hoarse as if rubbed with sandpaper.Yet, the corner of her lips unconsciously lifted into a faint, satisfied curve.Reaching out, she picked up the crystal glass in front of her.Her lips, crimson like rose petals, gently grasped the straw.Sucking.Slowly.In this moment, Nami was lazy, charming, and possessed an inviolable deadliness.She occasionally raised her eyelids, her amber pupils sweeping across the other side of the long table.Seeing Vivi feed another peeled grape into Luffy's mouth.Seeing Luffy grinning like an idiot who had received all the treasures in the world.Seeing their fingers secretly intertwined beneath the napkin.Nami said nothing.She continued to sip her milk slowly..."King Cobra!! Captain Igaram!!"The heavy, carved wooden door of the dining hall was slammed open, and a young Messengerstumbled in, his chest heaving violently, his face filled with shock and terror.His voice was hoarse and distorted due to extreme tension:"Th-this is terrible! Alabasta... above Alabasta! A huge cluster of islands has appeared, blocking out the sun!!"The air suddenly solidified.The faint clinking of forks and porcelain plates ceased abruptly. Everyone's movements, words, and even breathing were frozen in that moment.Luffy's movement also paused. He slowly raised his head, his rubber cheeks still puffed out, but deep in his eyes, a sharp light had already pierced through his usual naivety.The next instant—A flash of silver-white light appeared!Everyone felt a blur before their eyes, and that iconic red figure had vanished from the spot as if evaporated into thin air... On the highest domed platform of the Royal Palace, the fierce wind whipped around.Luffy's figure was pinned to the edge of the parapet like a javelin. The shadow beneath his straw hat obscured most of his face; only his tightly pursed lips formed a cold, hard line.He tilted his head back, his gaze penetrating the sky that had suddenly turned leaden and heavy.The sky had been "conquered."The formerly clear Alabasta sky was now violently fragmented and filled by countless massive shadows.They were upside-down islands, their angular rock formations having broken free from the earth's constraints, floating illogically thousands of meters in the air.A silent pressure, originating from the inversion of heaven and earth, heavily crushed the heart of every person who looked up."—Phew!"The familiar sound of exhaling smoke rang out beside him. Sanji was already standing there, though no one knew when he had arrived.With his hands in his pockets and the hem of his suit flapping in the gale, the lit cigarette tip flickered in the gloom."The display is truly exaggerated... Is this the legendary Golden Lion Shiki's 'Float-Float Fruit' ability? Moving entire islands over like toys to throw a banquet?""I don't care about the islands,"A low voice filled with fighting spirit came from the other side.Zoro slowly stepped onto the platform, his three swords clinking softly at his waist, emitting a thirsty hum.He squinted his right eye, his gaze sweeping over the islands overhead like a blade, finally locking onto the largest shadow deep within the fleet."What I'm more curious about is, after all these years, how sharp the sword of that 'Sky Pirate' is—the one who carved out an era with two famous swords!"Solid footsteps followed one after another, and the figures of his companions appeared behind Luffy, like a sturdy wall.Everyone was present, without exception, the entire crew assembled.They stood silently behind Luffy, in various postures, yet the same will flowed silently among them, forming an unshakeable aura.The wind on the dome grew increasingly violent, whipping the straw hat's tassels and everyone's clothing.Amidst the dead silence before the storm and the prelude of roaring wind, Luffy slowly raised his hand and pressed down on the straw hat atop his head.He suddenly swung his arm, pointing toward that floating, provocative sky kingdom."Set sail!""Hurry up—"His smile blossomed fully, his snow-white teeth seeming to flash with cold light."And take him down!!"...Meanwhile, in the very center of the floating island fleet.It was a towering, brightly lit classical luxury mansion.Inside the magnificent hall, crystal chandeliers illuminated every inch of space as brightly as day.The long banquet table was laden with delicacies and fine wine; the silverware sparkled, yet conveyed a sense of cold extravagance."Gyahahahahaha!!!"The wild and unrestrained laughter caused the crystal chandeliers to tremble slightly.The defiant figure at the head seat suddenly stood up.His bright golden hair whipped around like a lion's mane, almost merging with the luxurious golden coat behind him.The peculiar ship's helm stuck in his head did not detract from his majesty; instead, it added a touch of manic dominance.It was none other than the legend who once rivaled Roger and Whitebeard for supremacy over the seas—Golden Lion Shiki!He held a magnificent wine glass filled with amber liquid high in one hand, his gaze sweeping over the sides of the long table below like a hawk, his voice full of unquestionable conquest:"Welcome! Welcome, Captains! From today onward, you belong to me, just like this sky!""Join my Flying Pirates, and follow me to shake up this world! Gyahahaha!!"Seated along both sides of the long table below were no ordinary crew members.Every one of them had a sharp aura and keen or fierce eyes; they were clearly individuals who had once held their own.These were the Pirate Captains who had recently been active and even gained some notoriety in the "Paradise" region of the first half of the Grand Line.Yet now, they had been "invited" in various ways to this altitude thousands of meters above the ground.The Captains wore varied expressions:Some wore ingratiating smiles, eagerly raising their glasses in response, their eyes gleaming with the ambition of relying on a powerful figure;Others looked grim, their fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the table or a sword hilt, their eyes dark and uncertain. They were clearly coerced by force, their hearts filled with resentment and humiliation;Still others lowered their eyelids, silently sizing up the Floating Fortress and the laughing Golden Lion, seemingly calmly assessing the situation and future possibilities."Haha, Boss Shiki!"A bald, scarred, and burly Captain was the first to stand up, offering rough flattery in an attempt to curry favor with his new master:"It's our luck to be able to do great things alongside a legendary Great Pirate like you! Wherever you point, we'll strike!"His words were met with a few scattered and deliberate echoes.But most Captains merely raised their glasses in silence, or drained the wine in their cups, the spicy liquid sliding down their throats, suppressing their complex emotions.Golden Lion Shiki took all of this in, his mouth curving into an even more arrogant arc.He didn't care whether these guys were sincere or deceitful; he only needed their ships, their men, and their value as pawns.His gaze seemed to penetrate the walls of the mansion, cast toward the Desert Kingdom below, shrouded in shadow.And further away, the vast ocean that was about to surge again because of him."Drink up, you brats!"Shiki tilted his head back, draining the wine in his glass, and casually threw the cup onto the floor, where it shattered with a crisp sound."After the banquet... the real show begins! Gyahahahaha!!!"